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Tracy Hampton, PhD

JAMA. 2008;299(14):1654.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

New research reveals insights into molecular mechanisms that explain why the liver fails to respond appropriately to rising insulin levels in patients with type 2 diabetes (Dentin R et al. Science. 2008;319[5868]:1402-1405).

Scientists discovered that chronically elevated blood glucose levels disable the switch that normally shuts off sugar production in the liver. The findings suggest that inhibitors targeting the enzymatic pathway that blocks this switch might help lower glucose levels in patients with diabetes and thereby diminish complications of the disease.

Several years ago, researchers led by Marc Montminy, PhD, at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, Calif, discovered this switch, a protein called CRTC2, that turns on glucose production in the liver when blood glucose levels run low, such as during the night or during prolonged fasting. After a meal, insulin normally shuts down CRTC2, ensuring that blood sugar levels do not . . . [Full Text of this Article]